Autographic register and method



' m 943. J, T. DAVlDSON ETAL AUTOGRAPHIG REGISTER AND METHOD Filed Jan.2, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l INVENTORS (loll/V [DA V/DSON BRUCE T B/C/IEL$39k m A TORNEY 1943- J. T. DAVIDSON ETAL 2,337,548

AUTOGRAPHIG REGISTER AND METHOD I Filed Jan. 2, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F'IINVENTORS uomv ZDA V/D6 ON- 5 c5 TB/CKEL Patented Dec. 28, 1943AUTOGRAPHIC REGISTER AND METHOD John T. Davidson and Bruce T. Bickel,Dayton,

Ohio, assignor to The Standard Register Com- I pany, Dayton, Ohio, acorporation of Ohio Application January 2, 1942, Serial No. 425,904

15 Claims.

This invention pertains to recording apparatus, and more particularly toa strip separator and distributing apparatus and mode of operation, foroptionally segregating one or more optionally selected copies of amanifolded record assembly for preservation in a special compartment.

For illustrative purpose, but with no intent to "unduly limit the scopeor application of the invention, it is here shown and described asembodied in a conventional type of autographic 'r'egister.

It has long been common practice in autographic register operation todirect one of a superposed plurality of inscribed record strips into aspecial locked compartment to prevent tampering with the inscribedrecord thereon, while the inscribed portions of remaining strips of theplurality are divided into individual sheets for distribution. However,the construction of autographic, registers has heretofore been such thatit was possible to make only the lowermost .strip of an assembly thelocked in copy. There .are many instances in modern commercial practicewherein it becomes desirable to preserve intact and to protect some copyor copies other than the lowermost of the assembly. Such copy to besegregated may be the topmost or any one or more intermediate strips ofthe plurality.

' The present invention provides mean and a mode of operation by whichany one or more strips of a superposed plurality thereof may be selectedand diverted into a receiving compartment, without interference with theejection from the register of other strips of the assembly.

Thus, the object of the invention is to provide A further object of theinvention is to provide an autographic register having the advantageousstructural features and inherent meritorious characteristics and mode ofoperation herein mentioned.

With the above primary and other incidental objects in view as will morefully appear in the specification, the invention intended to beprotected by Letters Patent consists of the features of construction,the parts and combinations thereof, and the mode of operation, or theirequivalents, as hereinafter described or illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings.

In the drawings, wherein is shown the preferred but obviously notnecessarily the only form of embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an autographic register embodying thepresent invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof taken on line 2-2 ofFig. 5.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the registerillustrating the relation of the strip guide or chute with theconventional hold-down blade and register cover.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the register showing therelation of the strip guide an autographic register which will be simplein construction, and which may not only be economically manufactured,but will be more efficient in use, automatic in action, uniform inoperation, having minimum parts, and unlikely to get out of repair.

A further object of the invention is to provide an autographic registerwith means for protecting any strip of the plurality comprising theinaniiolding assembly used therein from the inscription receivingposition until it reaches the locked compartment.

A further object of the invention is to provide an autographic registerwith means for directing any copy of the plurality comprising themanifolding assembly used therein to a locked compartment withoutinterfering with the issuance from the register of the remaining copies.1 A further object of the invention is to adapt an autographic registerwherein an enclosed chute directs any optionally selected one of thestrips of the manifolding assembly into a locked compartment so thatsucceeding form lengths may be readily detachedfrom the other stripbelow or abo thatwhi h. is, se r gated.

or chute with the hold-clown blade and feeding means and the manner inwhich unenclosed strips are discharged from the register.

Fig. 5 is an end View of the register on line 5-5 of Fig. 2 showing theclosure of the locked compartment and illustrating strip guide chute insection.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughoutthe several views.

While for illustrative purpose, but with no intent to unduly limit orrestrict the scope or application of the present invention, it has beenshown in relation to an autographic register, it is to be understoodthat the strip guide or chute and the method of separating and handlingsuperposed record strips may be applied to other recording machines.

In the drawings, l is an autographic register mounted upon a pedestal 2containing strip supply and storage compartments 3 and 4 respectively.The superposed strips 5, 6 and l are withdrawn from th zigzag foldedpack 8 within the supply compartment 3 and advanced over the writingtable 9 by the feeding means 19, which for illustrative purposes isherein shown as comprising a positive pin type feed for use withmarginally punched paper. However, it is to be understood that thepresent invention is not dependent upon the particular type of stripfeeding device.

The writing table 9 is supported upon the pivotal members H for upwardswinging motion about the pivots [2 located at the rear of the register.Also, carried by the pivotal members II are strip guides or rollers l2for supporting cabinet by the hinges 14. To enable the exposure.

of the superposed strips 5, 6 and 1 for the recording of the desiredrecords thereon, an opening [5 is provided in the cover [3 in registrywith the underlying superposed strips and writing table.

Located immediately over the feeding means I and providing the frontmargin of the opening I5 is a duo-functional plate It, which serves as afeed finger or hold-down plate for holding the superposed assembly orstrips .in engagement with the feeding means, and maintains the stripsin aligned relation while relieving any strain on the strips and feedingmeans. The plate It is supported on the arms H for swinging motion aboutthe pivot l8 and is normally maintained in spring tensioned relationwith the strip assembly and feeding means by the spring I9.

Located immediately adjacent the forward edge of the plate it areinterconnected relatively spaced members 20 and 2| which together formthe completely enclosed guide or chute 22 for directing the desiredstrip to the locked storage compartment 4. The guide 22 being of arcuateshape, it initially extends in an upwardly direction away from the plateI6 and the cover l3, thereby providing ample room intermediate the guideand cover for the operator to manually grasp and detach from thelowermost superposed strips the succeeding forms thereof as they areissued from the register (Fig. 3)

The discharge end of the guide 22 is supported on the register I inaligned relation with the opening 23 to the storage compartment 4 by thehinges 24. The hinges 24 enables the guide 22 to be swung forwardly anddownwardly away from the feeding means HI and hold-down plate 16 tofacilitate the opening of the register when it becomes necesssary tothread a new supply of strips therethrough.

Located on the under side of the guide 22 is a tail piece or stop member25, which as the guide swings upon its hinge connection limits thedownward movement of the guide 22, by engagement with the stationaryguide plate 26 located 7 immediately inside the opening 23.

A modified usage of the present apparatus is also shown in Fig. 4,wherein the intermediate strip 6 is directed through the guide 22, thetopmost strip 5, shown by dotted line, and the bottom strip 1 beingissued above and below the guide 22 respectively.

There is thus provided a device for selectively dividing from theassembly of superposed strips a preselected strip or strips from theplurality thereof and directing such preselected strip or strips to thelocked storage compartment without interfering with the discharge fromthe -register of over or underlying strips of the assembly.

From the above description it will'be apparent that there is thusprovided a device of the character described possessing the particularfeatures of advantage before enumerated as desirable, but whichobviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportions,detail construction and arrangement of parts without departing from theprinciple involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

While in order to comply with the statutathe invention has beendescribed in language more or less specific as to structural features,it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specificfeatures shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosedcomprise the preferred form of several modes of putting the inventioninto effect, and the invention is therefore claimed in any of its formsor modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. An autographic register, wherein an assembly of superposed strips ofrecord material is progressively advanced past a recording position fromthe register, characterized by a cabinet having a discharge opening forsaid strips, a normally locked storage compartment to receive at leastone of the strips, a protective guide chute, wherein an advancing stripis inaccessible, leading from the discharge opening of the cabinet tothe storage compartment through which the top, bottom or intermediateportion of the strip assembly is selectively discharged into the storagecompartment to the exclusion of the remainder of the strip assembly, andoptionally selective discharge passages to the exterior of the registerabove and below the entrance to the guide chute through either or bothof which remaining strips of the assembly other than the strip or stripsbeing directed through the chute may be dis!- charged from the register.

2. An autographic register, wherein an assembly of superposed strips ofrecord material is progressively advanced past a recording position, anormally inacesssible storage compartment, a plurality of guidepassages, one of which discharges into the said storage compartment, andthrough which one or more intermediate strips of the assembly aredirected into said compartment and the remainder of which dischargeoutside the register, and through which top and bottom strips of theassembly may be discharged beyond the register simultaneously with thedis charge of intermediate strips into the storage compartment.

3. An autographic register, wherein an assembly of superposed recordstrips are progressively advanced past a recording position the top andbottom portions thereof being discharged from the register and theintermediate portion deposited in a storage compartment, including dualdischarge passages for the top and bottom portions of the strip assemblyleading to the exterior of the register, and an intermediate guide chuteextending to the storage compartment through which the intermediateportion of the assembly is advanced into the compartment.

4. The herein described method, including advancing an assembly ofsuperposed record strips in unison past a recording position and thencepast a point of separation, detaching from a portion of the assemblyincluding the uppermost and lowermost strips thereof successive terminalportions, and directing the intermediate strips of of superposed recordstrips are advanced in unison past a recording position, andsubsequently separated, including a storage compartment, plural guidepassages appropriately directing top, bottom and intermediate strips ofthe assembly, one of which delivers selected strips into thecompartment, and the others of which deliver other strips of theassembly outside the compartment, the construction and arrangement beingsuch t at either the top, the bottom, or the intermediate strips of theassembly may be optionally delivered into the compartment simultaneouslywith the delivery of the remaining strips outside the compartment.

7. An autographic register, wherein an assembly of superposed strips areadvanced from a supply thereof past a record receiving position and aportion thereof are advanced to 2. normally locked storage compartmentand another portion thereof delivered outside the register, feedingmeans for advancing the strip assembly, a plurality of separate guidepassages for separated portions of the assembly, including a protectiveguide chute mean enclosing and directing an intermediate portion of thestrip assembly to the storage compartment, the construction andarrangement being such that the unenclosed portions of the stripassembly may be issued from the register simultaneously with the depositof the intermediate portion of the strip assembly in the lockedcompartment.

8. An autographic register, wherein an assembly f superposed recordstrips are advanced past a record receiving position, feeding means foradvancing the assembly and means adjacent the feeding means for dividingfrom the assembly a preselected intermediate portion thereof, andseparate guide passages for the selected intermediate portion of thestrip assembly and the remaining portions thereof by which the dividedportions are delivered to separate points.

9. An autographic register, wherein a portion of an assembly ofsuperposed record strips, exclusive of the lowermost strip, is directedto a storage compartment, a hinged arcuate guide member normallymaintained in operative position for enclosing and directing saidportion of the assembly to the storage compartment, and stop means onsaid guid member defining the extreme limit of motion when ininoperative position.

10. In a recording apparatus, wherein a plurality of superposed stripsof record material are simultaneously advanced past a recordingposition, trip feeding means, a hinged arcuate chute overlying theapparatus and extending into the path of advancement of the stripsthrough which a segregated portion of the strips is advanced, an exitpassage adjacent to the entrance to the chute through which anotherstrip of the plurality is advanced preparatory to separation intoindividual sheets for distribution, and a receiver into which the chutedischarges for reception of the segregated strip or strips.

11. In a recording apparatus, wherein a plurality of superposed stripsof record material are simultaneously advanced past a recordingposition, strip feeding means, a chute overhanging the apparatus andextending into the path of advancement of the strips through which asegregated portion of the strips is advanced, exit passages above andbelow the chute through 3 which strips other than those directed throughthe chute are ejected preparatory to division thereof into individualsheets for distribution, and a receiver into which the segregatedportion is discharged from the chute.

12. A strip separating apparatus, wherein an assembly of superposedstrips are advanced in unison from a source of supply and separated intonormally accessible and inaccessible portions, including strip feedingmeans for collectively advancing the strips, and a series of three guidepassages through which the strips may be optionally directed, aprotective chute defining the intermediate passage wherein one or morepassing strips will be inaccessible and communicating with a normallyinaccessible depository therefor, the outer passages of the series beingoperative to direct strips to an accessible point, the construction andarrangement being such that one or more topmost, bottommost orintermediate strips of the assembly may be selectively directed throughthe protective chute into an inaccessible depository and the remainingstrips simultaneously directed through either or both the remainingpassages for immediate access thereto.

13. An autographic register, wherein an assembly of superposed recordstrips are collectively advanced past a record receiving position,including a plurality of optionally selective guide passages througheither of which one or more strips of the assembly thereof may bedirected, a protective chute defining one of the guide passages whereinpassing strips will be inaccessible, an inaccessible depository forstrips with which the protective chute communicates, the remainingstrips being directed to an easily accessible point, the disposition andarrangement of passageways being such that an undetermined optionallyselected portion of the strips of the assembly may be directed throughthe protective chute into the inaccessible depository and other stripsabove or below those mentioned may be directed to an accessible pointoutside the said inaccessible depository.

14. A strip separating apparatus, wherein an assembly of superposedstrips are collectively advanced from a source of supply andsubsequently separated into accessible and inaccesssible portions,including dual optionally selective guide passages through either orboth of which a portion or portions of the strips may be directed to anaccessible point, and a protective guide chute wherein a passing stripis inaccessible communicating with a normally inaccessible depositorythrough which topmost, bottommost, or intermediate strips of theassembly may be directed at will into said depository.

15. An autogi-aphic register, wherein an assembly of superposed recordstrips are collectively advanced from a source of supply past a recordreceiving position and subsequently separated into accessible andinaccessible portions, including an inaccessible depository into which aselected portion of the strips is directed and dual passages througheither or both of which the remaining strips may be directed to anaccessible point, the construction and arrangement being such that thetopmost, bottommost or intermediate strips may be optionally directedinto the inaccessible depository.

JOHN T. DAVIDSON. BRUCE T. BICKEL.

